Protecting device for vapor-converters.



P. H. THOMAS.

PROTECTING DEVICE FOR VAPOR CONVERTERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1904.

946,812.- Patented Jan. 18,1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERCY H. THOMAS, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO COOPER HEWITTELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PROTECTING DEVICE FOR VAPOR-CONVERTERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

Application filed May 25, 1904. Serial No. 209,656.

protect vapor electric apparatus comprising a glass container andelectrodes, one of which may be of mercury or similar conductingvaporizable material, by providing one or more cushions at a point orpoints in the apparatus, which are particularly subjectto shock, saidcushion or cushions being either independent of the glass container orattached thereto. Such cushions may act'as distributers or deflectorsand relieve the nat- I cracking or breakage.

urally unprotected parts from the danger of The most exposed parts arethose which generally constitute the receptacle or receptacles for themercury or other conducting liquid and into which the lead-wires aresealed.

To avoid the difiiculty of attaching the distributers or deflectors inthe form of cushions, which have usually been made ofglass-wool orsimilar material, I have devised a protecting device which consists of aglass disk or prongs or similar devices attached to one or more of thelead-wires and extending into the path which is naturally taken by themercury or other liquid when the container is reversed in position,either in the process of manufacture or in transportation. The disk orprongs may be of glass and they may be secured to the inner end of theleadwire or wires, or they may be bent over, forming contin'uous pieceswith the glass of the container itself. In either case, the disk orprongs serve to provide a constriction of the path through which themercury or other liquid would naturally pass, the said constrictionbeing such as to prevent the free passage of the liquid from one part ofthe apparatus to another, but permitting the passage of a certain amountof liquid, Where- -by a vent is formed which relieves the hammer effectwhich would otherwiseresu'lt from a sudden stoppage of the liquid.v Thedisk or prongs placed as described have the further effect of holding aconsiderable portion "of the liquid constituting the electrode fromdisplacement by reason of any momentary agitation of the apparatus.Accordingly, such an agitation does not result in leaving the lead-wiresexposed nor in emptying the pocket containing the electrode. In otherwords, the presence of the disk or prongs is a safeguard against thesudden exposure of the lead-wire and the formation of a destructive areat this point, and at the same time serves to retard the outflow ofliquid from the electrode.

In Figure l of the drawing I show a disk of glass secured to the innerend of a lead Wire; and in Figs. 2 and 3 I illustrate modifications.

In the drawings, 1 is a container of a vapor apparatus showing at 2 anelectrode of mercury or other suitable conducting liquid. Forconvenience I illustrate my protective device solely in the neighborhoodof this electrode, it being understood that other parts of the apparatusmight be similarly protected. 7

The positive electrode is shown at 3, and the same may be either ofmercury, protected as in the case of the negative electrode 2 or itmaybe of iron, the back beyond the electrode bein protected by similarmeans. I

The lea -wire for the positive electrode is shown at 4 and that for thenegative electrode at 5.

In Fig. 1 I show a disk, 6, of glass sealed to the inner end of thelead-wire, 5, and extending out therefrom nearly to the walls of thepocket in which the negative electrode 2 is contained. It is found 1npractice that these prongs serve to reduce the shock of the mercury orother conductin liquid when the position of the apparatus is shifted sothat there is no danger of cracking or breaking the apparatus by reasonof the shock. At the same time a suflicient surface of electrodematerial is left above or beyond the disk to constitute an electrodewithout the development of undue heating thereat.

In Fig. 2 the lead-wire 5' is sealed into the glass as before, but theglass itself is bent over and formed into prongs 6, 6,'as shown.

The principle is the same as before.

In Fig. '3 the constriction of the passage for the mercury orotherliquid is formed at the middle of the pocket insteadof at the sides oredges thereof. In this figure, a ring'7 is formed in one piece with theglass of the pocket and is provided with a central opening, at 8.

In a divisional application, filed by me contain a mercury electrode ofan exhausted container, the combination with a central leading inwiresealed to the glass pocket and supported centrally in said pocket,ofan extension of the lass sealed around the leading in wire a apted toblock the flow of mercury directly to said pocket said extension lyingcentrally in the pocket.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York,this 21st day of May, A. D. 1904:.

PERCY H. THOMAS.

\Vitnesses:

WM. H. CAPEL, GEORGE H. STOCKBRIDGE.

